A dad has criticised agencies for failing to comm-unicate with carers.

The council and other groups are working on a cross-agency emergency planning project.

But Alex Russell, whose daughter Jennifer has Down’s Syndrome, feels he and other carers are being left in the dark.

The 72-year-old said: “We don’t get told anything. We had a meeting with the council and other care agencies in November for emergency planning. We’ve not heard anything back.”

The council is setting up a carers database. When it is complete, the authority aims to have a record of everyone who cares for some-one in the region.

Then, if something should happen to the carer, authorities will be able to move quickly to make sure the best arrangements are put in place for the person who needs the care. But Mr Russell said: “It’s poor communication that’s the problem. We have meetings and they do not tell us the result of them.

“We are sometimes told they have consulted carer groups and a decision has been made but when you ask the local care groups or carers none of them say they have been approached.”

Mr Russell and his wife, Emidy, have set up their own emergency planning for Jennifer through Enable Scotland.

A council spokesman said: “There is a process for assisting vulnerable people in an emergency – for example, if the carer is taken into hospital. All agencies are signed up to this and it is put into practice when required.

“In addition, the council is undertaking additional planning to enable us to be more pro-active in particular emergencies so we can identify the needs of vulnerable individuals at the outset and address these.”